Originally appeared in Red MSU Denver in December, 2018
Army Veteran David Keller is Transforming his Tactical Background and Elbow Grease into a New Career in Hospitality.
A long, dark Alaska winter helped military veteran David Keller find a new calling.
He was living in Fairbanks and adjusting to life in northern latitudes following 12 years in the Army. His service included stints as a combat engineer and a water-treatment specialist around the globe, including in Operation Desert Storm.
As The Last Frontier’s winter nights got longer, so did Keller’s time.
In the summer, when Fairbanks sees nearly 24 hours of daylight, everyone works in areas like construction and mining, he said. In the winter, when the outpost experiences less than 4 hours of daylight, you live off of what you’ve earned.
“I can’t sit still, though, so I started cooking,” Keller said.
That decision led to a job as a kitchen manager planning parties, weddings and other events, and put the Army veteran on his path in a different landscape of logistics.
Keller decided to take advantage of his U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs tuition benefits to transform his career and today is an event and meeting management senior with a minor in marketing at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
He’s also a fall 2018 awardee of The Rita and Navin Dimond Fellows Program, involving a comprehensive and immersive rotation throughout Stonebridge Companies’ DoubleTree by Hilton – Denver Tech Center hotel. Whether working with engineers to prepare a swimming pool, aiding the front desk with check-in, setting up tables for banquets or helping housekeeping fold towels, Keller emphasized the importance of an experiential understanding of the jobs constituting a successful enterprise.
“To be a good leader, you have to lead by example,” he said. “And I can’t lead by example if I haven’t done something myself – I have to be immersed, to walk in those shoes.”
Launching Stonebridge Companies in 1991, the Dimonds have grown the privately owned firm into a nationwide innovative hotel owner, operator and developer that boasts more than 50 properties and has its headquarters in Denver. Other fall 2018 fellowship recipients include Raina Maslowski and Samuel Berg.
In addition to showing gratitude for the opportunities and family-like environment cultivated by the Dimonds, Keller thanked faculty members including James Drake, Carol Krugman, Michael Wray and outgoing interim department chair, Clay Daughtrey, of the newly christened School of Hospitality, Events and Tourism; Dean Christian Hardigree is slated to take the school’s helm Jan. 2.
Keller also acknowledged the University’s overall commitment to military veterans.
“Other institutions have services for veterans, but it’s more mechanical: You step inside, get the resource, and you’re done,” he said. “Here, it’s very inviting – it has created this environment where all of the other vets want to volunteer to help out.
“You can tell MSU Denver really cares about veteran students.”
Keller also finds time to give back to the community with MSU Denver food-insecurity partner Food for Thought.
“There was a time in my life when I wasn’t the richest person in the world and there were people who lent a hand to me. Now, it’s my turn to pay it back a little,” he said.
Keller has always been driven. More than that, however, he knows how to prepare for events that can’t be prepared for.
“Planners need to understand nothing ever goes right, but keeping yourself under control makes everyone around you feel secure and able to take control of the situation themselves,” he said. “That’s turning chaos into order.”
The ability to manage unpredictability has served him well. Through the zigzag path of life, if we’re lucky, we’re bestowed the benefit of wisdom, a commingling of content and context with the awareness of how and when to deploy them.
For Keller, who will cross the commencement stage to receive his diploma on Dec. 14 – his birthday – it’s also an opportunity for reflection.
“I’m not as strict as I used to be, but I’m still as disciplined; I don’t like to leave jobs unfinished and will volunteer to come in early or stay late,” he said.
“I’m also living proof you can teach an old dog new tricks,” he added, with a smile.
By: Cory Phare
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Hyatt Place Denver Tech Center provides the guest facilities, amenities and a location to make travel a breeze, whether you’re traveling for business or vacation. This hotel is located in the heart of Denver’s Technology Center making for the perfect combination for a memorable trip.
Hyatt Place Denver Tech Center
8300 East Crescent Parkway
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Hotel Phone: 303-804-0700
Hotel Fax: 303-804-0712
Website
Hyatt House Denver Tech Center’s spacious guest suites are adorned with homey comforts you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, like fully-equipped kitchens, separate living spaces and pillow-top Hyatt Grand Beds®. Free features abound, like Wi-Fi; shuttle service (within 5 miles); and parking, while our fantastic facilities go the extra mile. And our location can’t be beat, with world-famous sporting venues, boutique shopping centers, casinos, golf courses, state parks and local businesses all within a short drive or shuttle ride.
Hyatt House Denver Tech Center
9280 East Costilla Avenue
Englewood, CO 80112
Hotel Phone: 303-706-1945
Hotel Fax: 303-706-1770
Website
Hyatt Place Denver South Park Meadows‘ dynamic spaces and places combine the perfect blend of home and office so you can relax comfortably and stay productive during your stay. Plus, this convenient hotel will put you within minutes of many interesting attractions and fun activities in the Lone Tree, CO area.
With an indoor pool, fitness center and 24/7 dining, free WiFi and meeting facilities, this hotel has everything you need.
Hyatt Place Denver South Park Meadows
9030 East Westview Road
Lone Tree, CO 80124
Hotel Phone: 303-662-8500
Hotel Fax: 303-662-8585
Website
Originally appeared in Mile High CRE in November, 2018
Stonebridge Companies, a privately owned, innovative hotel owner, operator and developer headquartered in Denver, has been awarded Marriott International’s Partnership Circle Award. Stonebridge Companies is one of three Marriott franchise partners in North America to receive this year’s award.
As the highest honor that Marriott grants to its franchise partners for hospitality excellence, the prestigious recognition inducts Stonebridge Companies into the award program’s Hall of Fame among fellow brand leaders.
“Receiving this award is a reflection of Stonebridge Companies’ exceptional team members and their commitment to provide Distinguished Hospitality™ to our guests,“ said Navin C. Dimond, founder, president and CEO of Stonebridge Companies. “We are honored to receive this illustrious award. We are immensely proud of our 23-year-long partnership with the renowned Marriott brands and are humbled to be recognized for our consistent efforts to deliver excellence as an owner partner.”
The Partnership Circle Award is exclusively granted to franchise partners that exemplify Marriott’s vision, share a long-term business commitment, embrace brand initiatives, focus on associates to foster and manage an engaged workforce, invest in hotel product and deliver excellent customer service.
“This year, we will welcome three exceptional companies to the Partnership Circle Hall of Fame,” said Liam Brown, Marriott International president of franchising, owner services and MxM select brands, North America. “Our newest inductees were selected based on their Guest Satisfaction results and RevPAR Index growth… their support of our brand initiatives and strategies… their ability to drive growth via additional hotels… and finally, their overall partnership with Marriott International.”
Stonebridge Companies’ current hotel portfolio features 26 Marriott locations nationwide, and will continue to expand with its Courtyard by Marriott Loveland/Fort Collins in Northern Colorado, scheduled to open January 2019.
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Originally appeared in Hotel News Now in November, 2018
Ask any hotel industry executive what keeps them up at night, and the odds are good labor issues are foremost on their minds.
Whether hoteliers wrestle with finding employees or retaining the great staff members they already have, most in the industry agree that labor concerns cast a cloud on the up cycle.
Ask any hotel industry executive what keeps them up at night, and the odds are good labor issues are foremost on their minds.
Whether hoteliers wrestle with finding employees or retaining the great staff members they already have, most in the industry agree that labor concerns cast a cloud on the up cycle.
At The Lodging Conference, Aimbridge Hospitality Chairman and CEO Dave Johnson didn’t sugarcoat the dangers of ignoring the problem.
“Labor, labor, labor. I think it could be the one thing that really hits us hard,” he said. Labor costs increased “almost 2.9% in August—that’s the highest in a long, long time, and I think it’s going to continue to climb. We do need to get bipartisan support to do something, or we’re going to derail our economy.”
While compensation is one of the most common sticking points, Judy King, founder and principal of Quality Management Services, said onboarding, flexibility and staff culture all equally contribute to turnover at the Southern Lodging Summit.
“I see a tendency to drop standards, and a toleration of poor performance leads to nothing but more poor performance,” King said. “Your good employees are not only doing their jobs, but they have to pick up the slack from other people.”
Hoteliers around the globe also recognize the lack of gender diversity at the executive level. At Deloitte’s 30th European Hotel Investment Conference, a panel of female executives discussed some of the challenges and stereotypes women face when trying to advance their careers in the hospitality industry. But should companies choose to promote more women, they are more likely to see increases to the bottom line, Castell Project founder Peggy Berg said.
But the hotel industry is making strides in improving the labor environment. In one of the biggest developments of 2018, several major hotel brand companies and the American Hotel & Lodging Association unveiled the “Five-Star Promise,” an initiative intended to reinforce sexual harassment training and equip employees with alarm devices.
“We don’t want the illusion of safety—we want real safety,” Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta said. “That means we’ll have to have the right tailored-fit solution for the device in the right hotels. We have to do the right education and training.”
Independent hotel operators have a different perspective in hiring and training employees without the infrastructure of a brand, but that doesn’t stop them from putting their own spin on training their staffs.
“I’ve always felt that you can use a little more creativity on the independent side, where everything isn’t so super structured,” said Shawn Roach, GM of the HGU New York.
An emphasis on grooming talent to retain employees who fit a company’s culture permeates all disciplines in the industry, including revenue management. And sometimes the best revenue managers come from other departments.
“The line-level associate who takes an interest, starts asking questions on why things are how they are—we latch onto those folks,” said Chris Cheney, VP of hotel performance and analytics at Stonebridge Companies. “Not elevating them yet, but feeding their thirst for knowledge. And then from there we groom them to the next step to a revenue analyst, revenue manager.”
Management companies also have to comply with changes to federal tip pooling laws regarding wait staff, bartenders and other employees who depend on tips.
“You need to make sure that at the end of the day, employees who primarily receive tips are at least making the federal minimum wage or the state minimum wage if that is higher,” said Sylvia St. Clair, associate at Faegre Baker Daniels. “Meeting minimum wage is the No. 1 priority.”
With the increase in new hotel supply, the jobs are there, ready to be filled, and some larger properties even deploy mass-hiring strategies before a new-build hotel opens its doors. Building community relationships is one effective method to get the word out, said Wanda Smith-Gispert, regional VP of talent and workforce development for MGM Resorts International.
“Partnering with local nonprofits, government agencies, veteran and job training programs allowed us to build a pipeline of trained candidates well in advance of posting the positions,” she said.
Columnist Stephen Barth listed five reasons hotels can lose good employees, including issues with scheduling, paid-time-off policies and accountability of fellow staff members.
“Generous PTO is a magnet for good employees, even if it is ’use it or lose it’ so it does not accrue,” Barth wrote.
But can the hospitality industry’s labor struggles be solved with higher pay? Hotel News Now Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Ricca issued that challenge to hotel companies in an October blog post.
“I’m a big believer in a strong workplace culture and non-monetary perks for good employees, but the fact is that money talks,” Ricca wrote. “You won’t even have a chance to impress new hires with your great culture if you can’t even get them in the door!”
By: Dan Kubacki
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Embassy Suites New Orleans Convention Center offers the best of southern hospitality and the perfect downtown location in the heart of New Orleans. The hotel offers modern guest rooms and suites.
Our full-service hotel places you next to the New Orleans Convention Center and just minutes from the Mercedes Superdome, Smoothie King Center, Outlet Collection at Riverwalk and the Port of New Orleans Cruise Ship Terminal. Harrah’s New Orleans Casino and the French Quarter are just two of the many exciting attractions nearby.
Embassy Suites by Hilton New Orleans Convention Center
315 Julia Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Hotel Phone: 504-525-1993
Hotel Fax: 504-525-3437
Website
Urban elegance defines Cherry Creek. And now, The Jacquard gives you the perfect home base for exploring all its charmingly independent boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. Celebrate life’s best moments with style. Do business with ease. Enjoy contemporary yet comfortable accommodations. And indulge in the best of downtown Denver—less than a 15 minute drive away—and the Rocky Mountains just beyond the city. Those beautiful mountain views are as close as our rooftop pool—enhanced all the more with a handcrafted cocktail at our rooftop bar.
Named for famous French Inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard, who invented the automated looming process and ushered in affordable fashion, The Jacquard promises to be the fabric of Cherry Creek, weaving together a location in the most walkable neighborhood in Denver with warm, approachable service and distinguished hospitality.
At the Jacquard’s signature restaurant, Narrative, you can share freshly reimagined local favorites. Or, soak up the sunny rooftop patio culture while enjoying panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains. Dine, work, play, and stay at The Jacquard, where our talented Service Curators promise to tailor your Cherry Creek experience to perfection.
The Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop – Cherry Creek
222 Milwaukee St
Denver, CO 80206
Hotel Phone: 303-515-2000
Website
Originally appeared in Eater Denver in October, 2018
After a summer full of buzzy hotel restaurant openings in RiNo, Cherry Creek has a new offering with a longtime local chef behind it. Paul Nagan’s Narrative restaurant opens Wednesday for all-day service at the Jacquard Hotel & Rooftop, 222 Milwaukee Street. Nagan most recently led the kitchen at downtown’s Range restaurant in the Renaissance Hotel, where he served food from the American West.
His new Narrative will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a marble-fitted dining room. Nagan’s American menu includes appetizers like Caesar salad deviled eggs, salads including a citrus-marinated beet, and sandwiches such as the chicken Cubano. Dinner will offer filet mignon and a beef short rib cooked for 48 hours. Mascarpone cheesecake and ice cream from local purveyor Sweet Action are on the dessert list. Some 750 wine bottles will be available.
The bar will serve snacks and small plates like Korean barbecue and elote-style guacamole. These dishes will also be on the menu at the Jacquard’s rooftop bar, lounge, and pool, Kisbee on the Roof, which will open at a later date.
By: Rebecca Treon
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Originally appeared in Denver Business Journal in September, 2018
By: Ed Sealover
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